Managerial flexibility and performance of the state: exploring causality and connections

• Grant number: 11/04897-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: February 29, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration - Public Administration
• Principal Investigator: Regina Silvia Viotto Monteiro Pacheco
• Grantee: Ana Cláudia Pedrosa de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (EAESP). Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The contracting of results is seen as a major instrument of the 1980's and the 1990's reforms. It is providing managerial flexibilities for public organizations and in return, provides goals and results to be pursued (Jann & Reichard, 2002). However, the effectiveness of contracting out the results as a mechanism to increase the performance of government is not consensus in the literature. This research proposal aims to explore links and causalities between managerial flexibilities and the results. It is not only seek to establish direct relations, since it is difficult to isolate variables, the research will seek to investigate possible impacts on achievements and other dimensions relating to the performance of public organizations in the context of relaxation of certain rules of public administration. The study is based on an empirical case in the State Department of Social Defense of Minas Gerais, the Brazilian experience most advanced in the granting of flexibilities and the pursuit of better results. The methodology is essentially qualitative, operationalized by a documentation research and semi-structured interviews with the management team that implemented the model and the current team. This data will analyzed by content analysis technique, and, to a deeper understanding, the triangulation method will be used. The main contribution of this research proposal is to enter the debate on the issue and initiate new discussions. (AU)